Portable generator battery replacement?

[The Lazy L]

I have a Troybuilt XP portable generator with Electric start that I converted to LP. Large enough to run the "must haves" in the house. When generator is needed I turn off the main electrical breaker in the house and the "don't need" breakers. Walk out to the shop and fire up the generator. After the generator has warmed up I plug a "dead mans" cable into the shop's 220 VAC outlet. Then I plug the other end of the "dead mans" cable into the generator. Back feeding power from the shop to the house.

During the long overdue maintenance I discovered the 12 volt AGM start battery was dead. Considering the battery is close to ten years old being dead wasn't surprising. So I decided to replace it.

Disconnected the negative and then the positive cables from the battery.

Pry down the metal lip that holds the battery in place to slide the battery out. Battery hits a bolt protruding from above.

By contorting my hand I manage to remove the bolt that is keeping the battery from sliding out. Now the battery is stop from sliding out by the removed bolt's nut that is welded in place.

Remove the four bolts that hold the gasoline take in place.

Remove the fuel line from the shut off valve on the gasoline tank.

Remove nine bolts that hold the heat shield/battery enclosure that is under the gasoline tank.

I am able to cock the heat shield/battery enclosure just enough to clear the welded in place nut and side frame. Battery slides out easily.

Put the generator back together before I accidentally kick a part into no mans land or forget how to reassemble.

What a pain to remove the battery!

Now I wonder if I shouldn't have assumed the dead was dead because of age. The problem could be the little wall cube charger (supplied with the generator). Put the battery on a battery conditioner/charger for overnight.

I could possibly mount two pieces of angle iron across the bottom of the frame to mount the replacement battery. Then instead of replacing the battery with the same model, replace with the same model of battery the Mule or the lawn mower uses! Only have two different types of batteries instead of three! Buy a third battery conditioner/charger for the generator instead of using the little cube charger that came with the generator.

Sounds like a plan.

Wait minute! Why buy another battery and another battery conditioner/charger? Why not mount a piece of insulating plastic to the generator frame. Drill two holes in the plastic to bolt the negative and positive starter cables too. If the generator is too difficult to rope start then clip my jumper cables to the starter cables and to the mule's or mower's battery! Save the cost of angle iron, battery and charger and less to maintain!

 

[Supervisor42]

I have a Troybuilt XP portable generator with Electric start that I converted to LP. Large enough to run the "must haves" in the house. When generator is needed I turn off the main electrical breaker in the house and the "don't need" breakers. Walk out to the shop and fire up the generator. After the generator has warmed up I plug a "dead mans" cable into the shop's 220 VAC outlet. Then I plug the other end of the "dead mans" cable into the generator. Back feeding power from the shop to the house.

During the long overdue maintenance I discovered the 12 volt AGM start battery was dead. Considering the battery is close to ten years old being dead wasn't surprising. So I decided to replace it.

Disconnected the negative and then the positive cables from the battery.

Pry down the metal lip that holds the battery in place to slide the battery out. Battery hits a bolt protruding from above.

By contorting my hand I manage to remove the bolt that is keeping the battery from sliding out. Now the battery is stop from sliding out by the removed bolt's nut that is welded in place.

Remove the four bolts that hold the gasoline take in place.

Remove the fuel line from the shut off valve on the gasoline tank.

Remove nine bolts that hold the heat shield/battery enclosure that is under the gasoline tank.

I am able to cock the heat shield/battery enclosure just enough to clear the welded in place nut and side frame. Battery slides out easily.

Put the generator back together before I accidentally kick a part into no mans land or forget how to reassemble.

What a pain to remove the battery!

Now I wonder if I shouldn't have assumed the dead was dead because of age. The problem could be the little wall cube charger (supplied with the generator). Put the battery on a battery conditioner/charger for overnight.

I could possibly mount two pieces of angle iron across the bottom of the frame to mount the replacement battery. Then instead of replacing the battery with the same model, replace with the same model of battery the Mule or the lawn mower uses! Only have two different types of batteries instead of three! Buy a third battery conditioner/charger for the generator instead of using the little cube charger that came with the generator.

Sounds like a plan.

Wait minute! Why buy another battery and another battery conditioner/charger? Why not mount a piece of insulating plastic to the generator frame. Drill two holes in the plastic to bolt the negative and positive starter cables too. If the generator is too difficult to rope start then clip my jumper cables to the starter cables and to the mule's or mower's battery! Save the cost of angle iron, battery and charger and less to maintain!

Wow! So much to talk about with this!
1. Glad I am not the only person who knows what a 'dead-mans' cable is or how to use one.
Highly effective, illegal, and dangerous in the hands of stupid people, huge numbers of people still use a 'backfeed cable'. It works great!
2. An AGM or SLA battery is much more dependable than a flooded 'lawn-mower' battery but more expensive. When you turn the key after having it sit for a year the difference is night & day.
Think about the 10 years it lasted. Ever had a lawn-mower battery make it past 3 years without having to be jumped-off or charged?
3. Putting a convenient external battery connection on it would be time well spent while you are working on it. If they made the battery that hard to get to, definitely yes.
4. Congrats on converting to propane! I will think about you while I am cleaning the gum out of my gas carb in the dark. I have jump-started a propane-powered machine, that I know had been sitting for 10 years, and cranked it right up. Propane does not know months, or years, and remains unchanged decades later.

 

[SheepDog]

Having worked with propane for decades I can tell you it does change. It has a build up of waxy gum that will deposit in tanks, regulators and carburetors. Filters don't seem to stop it but they do get clogged with bits of rust and dirt. It is a slower build up than gasoline or diesel fuel systems but it is there. It is not unusual to find a 20 year old tank to have a gallon of the waxy buildup in the bottom. The regulators (especially with heat exchangers) will foul out completely in about three years causing leaks and ruptured diaphragms. An alcohol based solvent cleans the crud out nicely and it can be used to replace lamp oil and kerosene burners when combined with the right amount of alcohol.

 

[Aerindel]

My champion dual fuel generators manual actually says that if the battery becomes fully drained you have to use a real battery charger to recharge it and not the little DC converter it came with to maintain it.

I know, because I found today that it had been left on for the last two months (presumably) and was dead.

 

[The Lazy L]

Eliminated the battery. Red and Black jumping positions were added to allow for jump starting. The cables that were terminated to the battery will go to the rear of the Red and Black posts.

For those who may not know what a "dead man's" cable is. It's is a cable with a male connectors on both ends. NEVER plug into a running generator first, NEVER. If you do then the other end of the cable could electrocute you!

The LP conversion side of the generator.

 

[Terri9630]

We bought a dual fuel genny but I want to convert our smaller one to propane too. I haven't checked the prices on that yet.

 

[mulescj8]

Just got a generator for a retirement gift and the model I have I’ve read the oil dip stick is a pain to get to because of the battery so once I get it out to assemble everything I will check that and may relocate the battery to outside of the frame for easier maintenance. Didn’t have any choice on the size or brand but it has great reviews, it’s a 5k so it should run most of the stuff I will use it for. I plan on getting a second one in a 7.5k-8k for extra stuff, to power my mig welder and as a back up.

 

[SheepDog]

Running my welder of a generator is difficult. It takes too long to spin up when you try to start a bead.

 

[Neb]

Running my welder of a generator is difficult. It takes too long to spin up when you try to start a bead.

Good to know.

Thank you.

Ben

 

[mulescj8]

Running my welder of a generator is difficult. It takes too long to spin up when you try to start a bead.

stick or wire fed welder? I have both and know a lot of the oilfield pipe welders when I was in Oklahoma ran welders off a generator. Lincoln told me for my mig as long as it’s at least a 6k running that it would power it.

 

[Supervisor42]

Just got a generator for a retirement gift and the model I have I’ve read the oil dip stick is a pain to get to because of the battery so once I get it out to assemble everything I will check that and may relocate the battery to outside of the frame for easier maintenance. Didn’t have any choice on the size or brand but it has great reviews, it’s a 5k so it should run most of the stuff I will use it for. I plan on getting a second one in a 7.5k-8k for extra stuff, to power my mig welder and as a back up.

Congratulation on the retirement!
Some people wait too long to 'pull the plug' (generator pun ).

 

[SheepDog]

MIG welder, wire. It is not the draw - I have that covered by double the power. It's the delay - the lag time between the demand from the welder and the time it takes the generator to spin up.

 

[mulescj8]

Congratulation on the retirement!
Some people wait too long to 'pull the plug' (generator pun ).

Thank you! Wasn’t quite ready to retire but after 3 surgeries in the last 16 months it was time.